Four ways to fight cravings

Has this happened to you? You see a chocolate bar in a magazine, so you take a walk to the nearest vending machine. Or you’re in a movie theater and the smell of popcorn drives you to the concession stand. These triggers are hard to handle. What can you do?

• Get moving. Physical activity can boost your mood just like food can — and it uses up calories, rather than adding them.
• Swap foods. If you crave a salty snack, have some salted celery or a lettuce salad with lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt. If you want something sweet, try sugar-free hard candy or a fruit-and-ice smoothie with no-calorie sweetener.
• Distract yourself. If you can do something else for just a few minutes, the craving may pass.
• Drink water. Sometimes thirst disguises itself as hunger. But make sure you’re not substituting water for food; you still need nutrients as part of a healthy diet.

Survive the occasional slip

Weight control is not like walking a tightrope — one misstep and you’re done. If you slip, don’t fall overboard with bad choices. Here are a few tips for recovering:

• Accept that mistakes happen. Forgive yourself and focus on what to do differently next time.
• Persevere with your goals. Avoid “all-or-nothing” thoughts of giving up.
• Identify triggers. Try to understand what events or circumstances led to overeating. Anger, stress, loneliness or the blues are common. Be ready for them
• Turn your back. When you sense a trigger, change direction. If you’re in the kitchen, or near food, go somewhere else. Just walk away.
• Do the math. If you want to be sure you have a low-fat diet, count the grams of fat in your daily food choices and compare them to the number of grams of fat suggested for your calorie level. For more on daily fat and calorie targets, check out the target fat and calories charts.